Habs @ Senators | Game Thread

[Wamsley01]

Yeah, a lineup like the ones being proposed here sound good to me. I've also wondered how Andrei Kost would look on Saku's wing, but we can keep that one on the backburner. There's a ton of possibilities but I do like the looks of a lineup like this:

Latendresse - Koivu - Tanguay

Sergei - Lang - Kovalev

Higgins - Plekanec - Andrei

I love those lines. I remember in 2007 when Higgins/Pleks/AK46 played together and it was one of the moments

where I started to believe, I think we have really got something here.

Add that line to how well the Lats/Koivu/Tangs line played early, and the reuniting of Kovalev and Lang

and it could solve some problems.

One can hope

[Chris]

I don't know, i guess it's better to be lucky then good. How do you only get 20 shots on goal again? That is redicoulous. I think they only had 2 in the second.

I don't know about fans or posters but that win didn't really do much for me, they got lucky which is good for 2 points i guess. The quick whistle saved them.

Price was very good.

Koivu and Markov were pretty good at times. The 4th line did what it needed to.

! PP for? That tells me exactly how lazy these guys really are.

As others said, if they don'y play significantly better on Saturday, it will be another emabarrasment.

[lazy26]

It is like dating Megan Fox in high school, and then marrying Amy Smart and pointing out her flaws for

twenty years because she is not Megan Fox, Amy Smart is still hot.

...

I'm sorry, what were we talking about? I got... distracted...

Oh right. I tend to agree that Koivu and Tangs are able to read each other quite well, and this is before we're 20 games in. And although he may not always produce, Lats is a good complementary player for that line. His play this year has been much more effective than in years past, and I only think it will get better if he sticks on this line. If (and I do say IF) he continues to improve, I can see Bob letting Kovy walk to keep Saku and Tangs... because I doubt we'll sign all of our UFAs.

But there is much season to be played still.

[CerebusClone]

I don't know, i guess it's better to be lucky then good. How do you only get 20 shots on goal again? That is redicoulous. I think they only had 2 in the second.

I don't know about fans or posters but that win didn't really do much for me, they got lucky which is good for 2 points i guess. The quick whistle saved them.

Price was very good.

Koivu and Markov were pretty good at times. The 4th line did what it needed to.

! PP for? That tells me exactly how lazy these guys really are.

As others said, if they don'y play significantly better on Saturday, it will be another emabarrasment.

Exactly what tangible evidence tells you the players are lazy and not working? Can you think of specific plays or examples of this? I ask because it feels to me that most people, including Carbonneau, systematically blame and point to a lack of effort from the players whenever the team loses or isn’t playing well.

To me an example of a player not working and not willing to make sacrifices was Jan Bulis a few years ago when he rushed for the puck with Marco Sturm skating in opposite direction. Both players got the puck at just about the same time, and instead of giving/taking a hit to gain puck possession, Bulis wussed out, stopped skating, stepped aside, and basically gave the puck to Sturm… and if I remember correctly Sturm scored on that play, or at least got a great opportunity. To me this is an example where a player should be blamed.

However I don’t see anything remotely like this in Montreal right now, to me it looks as of everyone is committed, trying their best, and working hard… the closest I can think of is Alex Kovalev who again last night tripped a player after a hit to satisfy his own personal ego – I say again because he did it twice against Boston in the last playoffs, and all three times it either lead or came very close to lead to a goal at a crucial moment in the game.

Again what I saw last night is group of willing, committed individuals just playing terrible, messy, and incoherent hockey. Things look pretty good at the individual level, but as a group they look like a mediocre team. Numerous long passes, giveaways, an awful transition game … and we’re practically never in control of play.

[Athlétique.Canadien]

Again what I saw last night is group of willing, committed individuals just playing terrible, messy, and incoherent hockey. Things look pretty good at the individual level, but as a group they look like a mediocre team. Numerous long passes, giveaways, an awful transition game … and we're practically never in control of play.

You are correct about incoherent hockey but at least we improved in some areas last night. The " 5 unit" team game was far sounder than the last few games with Boston, Carolina and the Toronto debacle to cite examples.

Hopefully the team can get set lines and consistency in scoring. I hope last nights game was a sign that they are reversing these general negative trends.

[kaos]

To me an example of a player not working and not willing to make sacrifices was Jan Bulis a few years ago when he rushed for the puck with Marco Sturm skating in opposite direction. Both players got the puck at just about the same time, and instead of giving/taking a hit to gain puck possession, Bulis wussed out, stopped skating, stepped aside, and basically gave the puck to Sturm… and if I remember correctly Sturm scored on that play, or at least got a great opportunity. To me this is an example where a player should be blamed.

Speaking of Bulis, whatever happened to that Chump? Must be out of hockey? Did he go back to Europe?

[Habsfan]

Speaking of Bulis, whatever happened to that Chump? Must be out of hockey? Did he go back to Europe?

I do believe he went back to Europe...in some Czeck league!?

[Fanpuck33]

I do believe he went back to Europe...in some Czeck league!?

He's playing in the KHL.

On a side note, that link inspired me to look up Radulov, who is 3rd on his team in scoring. Behind Perezhogin, haha. Also, former Habs prospect Vadim Tarasov is one of the team's goalies.

[lazy26]

Speaking of Bulis, whatever happened to that Chump? Must be out of hockey? Did he go back to Europe?

He's playing for Mytishchi Atlant in the KHL. 14 points in 25 games so far.

edit: geez Fanpuck, I go to grab a coffee and you beat me to it lol.

Edited November 21, 2008 by lazy26

[Chris]

CC, i look at lazy as being what is going on on the ice. The habs don't draw penalties because they don't skate hard or work hard to get to the net, They hook and hold because they are not in position, hence, lazy.

Losing battles is about work ethic most of the time, the habs continuosly lose 1 on 1 battles. Therefore, i think they are lazy.

Either that or they have become a significantly slower skating team.

[CerebusClone]

CC, i look at lazy as being what is going on on the ice. The habs don't draw penalties because they don't skate hard or work hard to get to the net, They hook and hold because they are not in position, hence, lazy.

Losing battles is about work ethic most of the time, the habs continuosly lose 1 on 1 battles. Therefore, i think they are lazy.

Either that or they have become a significantly slower skating team.

Drawing hooking/holding penalties usually happen when - as you mentioned - a player is caught out of position. Now perhaps is it because of lack of effort and laziness, which I could agree with if it were one or two individuals. However the way I see things is that pretty much the entire team is playing messy, disorganized hockey, and pretty much everyone is out of position. To me the problem would appear to be more on the coaching side; Carbonneau gets soldiers, and it's up to him to get them to act as a cohesive, efficient unit.

As for losing puck battles, I think this could also flow from the lack of preparation; the players have lost that high level of self-confidence they had during the first few games, they're thinking too much, and they're afraid to make mistakes because the coach is having a blast demoting anyone not producing (ex. AK46 played great 2 games ago, then he had an ordinary game, then he ended up with Kostopoulos).